Jeremy Corbyn is reportedly set to draft Ed Miliband into his shadow cabinet

The Labour leader has suffered a series of resignations from his frontbench team over the last week.

A number of Mr Corbyn’s top MPs quit their shadow roles after refusing to follow his order to vote in favour of the Government’s Article 50 Bill.

Shadow business secretary Clive Lewis could also resign next week, having vowed to defy Mr Corbyn’s command and vote against the legislation – if Labour amendments are not accepted – when it returns to the House of Commons for its third reading.

Mr Miliband, who led Labour to a humiliating result at the last general election before being replaced by Mr Corbyn, has been tipped as a high-profile replacement should Mr Lewis resign.

It would mark a sensational return to frontline politics for Mr Miliband, who has recently spoken out against a so-called ‘hard’ Brexit and furiously criticised US President Donald Trump.

It's a very desperate state when you try to bring back a discredited and publicly rejected politician

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, who is battling for a seat in the House of Commons at the upcoming Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, claimed Mr Corbyn must be in “a very desperate state” to consider handing a frontbench role to Mr Miliband.

Labour MPs are fearful Mr Corbyn’s unpopularity with voters could see the party lose both the Stoke and Copeland by-elections on February 23, which were sparked by the resignations of Labour’s Tristram Hunt and Jamie Reed from Parliament.